---
title: HB 221. Education; equal athletic opportunities for public school students; provide
collection: bills
id: 2025-2026/hb221
cite_as: HB 221, 2025-2026 Regular Session (Ga.)
canonical_url: https://georgiacommons.org/bills/2025-2026/hb221
md_url: https://georgiacommons.org/bills/2025-2026/hb221.md
text_url: https://georgiacommons.org/bills/2025-2026/hb221/text
source_url: https://www.legis.ga.gov/legislation/69774
date: 2025-02-05
status: introduced
corpus_version: bills-2026-09-13
license: Public record of the Georgia General Assembly, via LegiScan; see about.md
publisher: Georgia Commons, an independent project of Georgia Civic Data. Not the State of Georgia. Not legal advice.
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omitted: votes and history
omitted_chars: 129
omitted_url: https://georgiacommons.org/bills/2025-2026/hb221.md?full=1
bill_number: HB 221
session: 2025-2026 Regular Session
session_slug: 2025-2026
chamber: House
bill_type: bill
status_date: 2025-02-03
last_action: House Second Readers
sponsors:
- Park Cannon
- Karla Drenner
- Samuel Park
- Jasmine Clark
- Imani Barnes
text_version: Introduced
has_text: true
legiscan_url: https://legiscan.com/GA/bill/HB221/2025
upstream_id: 1952894
summaries_model: claude-sonnet-5
topic_tags:
- school sports
- gender equity in athletics
- Title IX
- student lawsuits
- high school athletics
---
# HB 221. Education; equal athletic opportunities for public school students; provide
## Text
House Bill 221
By: Representatives Cannon of the 58th, Drenner of the 85th, Park of the 107th, Clark of the
108th, and Barnes of the 86th
A BILL TO BE ENTITLED
AN ACT
To amend Title 20 of the Official Code of Georgia Annotated, relating to education, so as to
provide for equal athletic opportunities for public school students; to provide for a cause of
action; to provide for statutory construction; to provide for related matters; to repeal
conflicting laws; and for other purposes.
BE IT ENACTED BY THE GENERAL ASSEMBLY OF GEORGIA:
SECTION 1.
Title 20 of the Official Code of Georgia Annotated, relating to education, is amended in Part
14 of Article 6 of Chapter 2, relating to other educational programs under the "Quality Basic
Education Act," by revising Code Section 20-2-315, relating to gender discrimination
prohibited, authorized separate gender teams, equal athletic opportunity, physical education
classes, employee designated to monitor compliance, grievance procedures, and reporting
requirements, as follows:
"20-2-315.
(a) No student shall, on the basis of gender, be excluded from participation in, be denied
the benefits of, be treated differently from another student, or otherwise be discriminated
against in any interscholastic or intramural athletics offered by a local school system, and
no local school system shall provide any such athletics separately on such basis.
(b) Notwithstanding the requirements of subsection (a) of this Code section, a local school
system may operate or sponsor separate teams for members of each gender where selection
for such teams is based upon competitive skill or the activity involved is a contact sport.
However, where a local school system operates or sponsors a team in a particular sport for
members of one gender but operates or sponsors no such team for members of the other
gender, and athletic opportunities for members of that gender in that particular sport have
previously been limited, members of the excluded gender must be allowed to try out for the
team offered unless the sport involved is a contact sport. Nothing in this subsection shall
be construed to limit the authority of a local school system to operate or sponsor a single
team for a contact sport that includes members of both genders. As used in this subsection,
the term 'contact sport' includes boxing, wrestling, rugby, ice hockey, football, basketball,
and any other sport the purpose or major activity of which involves bodily contact.
(c) A local school system which operates or sponsors interscholastic or intramural athletics
shall undertake all reasonable efforts to provide for equal athletic opportunity for members
of both genders by taking all steps reasonably necessary to ensure . In determining whether
equal opportunities are available the following factors shall be considered:
(1) Whether that the selection of sports and levels of competition effectively
accommodate the interests and abilities of members and teams of both genders and that
comparable and equivalent funds, facilities access, equipment, supplies, and other
resources are being provided for members and teams of both genders as demonstrated
by:;
(2)(1) The provision of equipment and supplies;
(2) The location of locker rooms and practice and competitive facilities;
(3) The scheduling Scheduling of games and practice time practices;
(4) Travel allowance allowances;
(5) Opportunity Opportunities for students to receive coaching and academic tutoring;
(6) Assignment The assignment and compensation of coaches and academic tutors for
students, including, but not limited to, whether the compensation of coaches is
commensurate with time actually spent engaged in coaching, academic tutoring, or other
assigned duties;
(7) Provision of locker rooms and practice and competitive facilities;
(8) Provision The provision of medical and training facilities and services; and
(9)(8) Publicity.
Unequal aggregate expenditures for members of each gender or unequal expenditures for
male and female teams if a local school system operates or sponsors separate teams will
not constitute noncompliance with this subsection, but the failure to provide essential funds
comparable and equivalent funds, facilities access, equipment, supplies, and other
resources for the basic operations of teams for one gender may be considered in assessing
equality of opportunity for members of each gender shall constitute such noncompliance.
Nothing in Code Section 20-2-411 shall be construed to limit the authority of a local school
system to expend school tax funds as authorized by Article VIII, Section VI, Paragraph I(b)
of the Constitution in order to comply with the requirements of this Code section.
(d) A local school system may provide separate toilet, locker room, and shower facilities
on the basis of gender, but such facilities shall be comparable to such facilities provided
for students of the other gender.
(e) This Code section does not prohibit the grouping of students in physical education
classes by gender.
(f)(1) Subject to the provisions of paragraph (3) of this subsection, if a local school
system sponsors an athletic activity or sport at a particular school that is similar to a sport
for which an institution in the University System of Georgia offers an athletic
scholarship, it must sponsor the athletic activity or sport for which a scholarship is
offered at that school. This paragraph does not affect academic requirements for
participation nor prevent the local school system from sponsoring activities in addition
to those for which scholarships are provided.
(2) Two athletic activities or sports that are similar may be offered simultaneously.
(3) If a local school system demonstrates by a bona fide survey of eligible students at the
school, which is approved by the Department of Education for compliance with generally
accepted opinion survey principles regarding neutral wording and other matters, that there
is insufficient interest among students at the school to field a team described in
paragraph (1) of this subsection, then the local school system shall not be required to
sponsor such athletic activity or sport at that school. The exemption provided for by this
paragraph shall be valid for 24 months following the date when the most recent bona fide
student survey demonstrating a lack of student interest was completed, unless a new bona
fide student survey is conducted within the 24 month period that demonstrates sufficient
interest to field a team. If such a new bona fide student survey demonstrates such
sufficient interest, then the local school system must comply with paragraph (1) of this
subsection during the local school system's next fiscal year and until such time as a new
bona fide student survey demonstrates insufficient interest to field a team described in
paragraph (1) of this subsection. A local school system shall conduct the bona fide
student survey described in this paragraph regarding interest in a team described in
paragraph (1) of this subsection upon the request of nine students at the school, but no
more frequently than once every 12 months.
(4) Nothing in this subsection shall be construed to preclude the application of generally
applicable policies or rules regarding the cancellation of an athletic activity or sport due
to lack of student participation in scheduled practices or contests.
(g) Each local school system shall designate at least one employee to coordinate its efforts
to comply with and carry out its responsibilities under this Code section, including the
investigation of any complaint communicated to such local school system alleging its
noncompliance with this Code section. The employee designated under this subsection
may be the same person required to be designated under 34 C.F.R. Section 106.8. The
local school system annually shall notify all its students of the name, office address, and
office telephone number of the employee or employees appointed pursuant to this
subsection. Such notification may be included in a student handbook code of conduct
distributed pursuant to Code Section 20-2-736.
(h) Each local school system shall adopt and publish grievance procedures providing for
prompt and equitable resolution of written student complaints, including complaints
brought by a parent or guardian on behalf of his or her minor child who is a student,
alleging any action which would be a violation of this Code section. Such procedures shall
require that:
(1) The employee designated under subsection (g) of this Code section shall render his
or her decision in writing no later than 30 days after receipt of the complaint, and such
decision shall set forth the essential facts and rationale for the decision;
(2) A copy of such decision shall be provided to the complainant within five days of the
date of the decision; and
(3) A complainant shall have a right to appeal such decision to the local board within 35
days of the date of the decision.
(i)(1) A complainant may appeal a decision of a local board that is rendered under
subsection (h) of this Code section in accordance with the procedures specified in Code
Section 20-2-1160. If the State Board of Education determines that a local school system
has failed to comply with this Code section, then the state board shall provide the local
school system with opportunities to prepare a corrective plan. If the state board
determines that a corrective plan of the local school system adequately plans and provides
for future compliance with this Code section, then the state board shall approve the plan
and direct the local school system to implement such plan.
(2) If, upon a complaint filed pursuant to subsection (h) of this Code section after one
year following the date of a state board order directing implementation of a corrective
plan pursuant to paragraph (1) of this subsection but within four years of the date of such
order, the state board determines that the local school system which was subject to such
order has willfully failed to comply with this Code section, the state board may, after
consideration of the local school system's efforts to implement the corrective plan
approved in the earlier proceeding and of any other corrective plan that may be submitted
by the local school system, transmit a certification of such determination to the
Department of Community Affairs. If the state board's determination of noncompliance
is later reversed or vacated upon appeal, the state board shall immediately notify the
Department of Community Affairs of such action.
(3) If, upon a complaint filed pursuant to subsection (h) of this Code section after one
year following the date of a state board certification to the Department of Community
Affairs pursuant to paragraph (2) of this subsection but within four years of the date of
such order, the state board determines that the local school system which was subject to
such order has willfully failed to comply with this Code section, the state board may,
after consideration of the local school system's efforts to implement a corrective plan
approved in an earlier proceeding and of any other corrective plan that may be submitted
by the local school system, order that a team or teams within the local school system or
school within the local school system shall not participate in interscholastic postseason
athletic contests and that participation in violation of such an order may result in
withholding of state funds allotted pursuant to Code Section 20-2-186. An order of the
state board barring participation in interscholastic postseason athletic contests shall be
made and announced before the beginning of a school year.
(4) If, upon a complaint filed pursuant to subsection (h) of this Code section after one
year following the date of a state board order prohibiting participation in interscholastic
postseason athletic contests pursuant to paragraph (3) of this subsection but within four
years of the date of such order, the state board determines that the local school system
which was subject to such order has willfully failed to comply with this Code section, the
state board may, after consideration of the local school system's efforts to implement a
corrective plan approved in an earlier proceeding and of any other corrective plan that
may be submitted by the local school system, withhold state funds that are allotted
pursuant to Code Section 20-2-186 in an amount that the state board determines is
sufficient to secure the local school system's compliance with this Code section. In the
event that state funds are withheld pursuant to this paragraph, such funds shall later be
allotted to the local school system at such time as the state board determines that the local
school system is in compliance with this Code section.
(j) The Department of Education may shall publish an annual report of local school
systems to include information regarding expenditures and participation rates for each
gender and such other information as the state board and department deem relevant.
(k)(1) In addition to any other rights or remedies otherwise provided by law, any student:
(A) Who is deprived of an athletic opportunity or suffers any direct or indirect harm
as a result of a violation of this Code section shall have a private right of action to
enforce the provisions of this Code section through injunctive or declaratory relief in
the superior court of the county in which the relevant covered entity or competition is
located. If an aggrieved student or such student's parent or guardian is the prevailing
party in such action, such student or such student's parent or guardian shall be entitled
to an award of reasonable attorney's fees, court costs, and expenses of litigation, but
shall not be entitled to any monetary damages; or
(B) Who is subject to retaliation or other adverse action by a covered entity or a local,
state, regional, or national athletic conference or association as a result of reporting a
violation of this Code section to an employee or representative such covered entity,
athletic association or conference, or any state or federal agency with oversight over
covered entities in this state, shall have a private cause of action for injunctive relief,
damages, and any other relief available under law against the covered entity or athletic
association or conference. If an aggrieved student or such student's parent or guardian
is the prevailing party in such action, such student shall be entitled to an award of
monetary damages, including for any psychological, emotional, or physical harm
suffered, reasonable attorney's fees, court costs, and expenses of litigation, and any
other appropriate relief.
(2) All civil actions brought under this subsection shall be initiated within two years after
the alleged harm occurred.
(l) Nothing in this Code section shall be construed to abrogate or otherwise affect the
operation or application of the federal Individuals with Disabilities Education Act (IDEA),
Section 504 of the federal Rehabilitation Act of 1973, or the federal Americans with
Disabilities Act of 1990."
SECTION 2.
Said title is further amended in said part by revising subparagraph (c)(1)(E) of Code Section
20-2-316, relating to involvement of athletic association in high school athletics, as follows:
"(E) The authority and duties of the executive oversight committee shall include:
(i) To meet in person or remotely not less than twice each school year;
(ii) To meet in person or remotely upon the call of the chairperson or a majority of
the executive oversight committee;
(iii) To establish policies and procedures for the executive oversight committee;
(iv) To conduct any independent audit, review, or investigation the executive
oversight committee deems necessary, including, but not limited to, the audit, review,
or investigation of the classifications of participating schools and travel-related travel
related issues of participating schools; and
(v) If the athletic association determines that it is necessary and appropriate to
prohibit students whose gender is male from participating in athletic events that are
designated for students whose gender is female, then the athletic association may
adopt a policy to that effect; provided, however, that such policy shall be applied to
all of the athletic association's participating public high schools; and
(vi) To conduct an annual evaluation of the athletic association as a whole and
present a report of its findings, recommendations, and conclusions to the General
Assembly's High School Athletics Overview Committee; and"
SECTION 3.
All laws and parts of laws in conflict with this Act are repealed.
## Summaries written by Georgia Commons
The following was written by claude-sonnet-5 from the text above and is not part of the bill. Quote the text, not the summary.
A Georgia House bill would toughen the state's equal athletic opportunity law for public school students, add a private right to sue over violations, and remove a provision letting the state's high school athletic association bar male students from female-designated events.
### Plain-language summary
Georgia law already bars public schools from discriminating between genders in school sports (O.C.G.A. § 20-2-315), while still letting schools run separate teams for contact sports or based on competitive skill. This bill rewrites that law to require schools to actively ensure equal opportunity, rather than just make 'reasonable efforts,' and spells out that comparable funding, facilities, equipment, coaching, and travel support for both genders' teams is required, not just a factor to weigh.
The bill also creates a new legal remedy: a student harmed by a violation could sue in superior court for an injunction or declaration, and could recover attorney's fees. A student who faces retaliation for reporting a violation could also sue for money damages. Lawsuits would have to be filed within two years. Separately, the bill deletes language in O.C.G.A. § 20-2-316 that let the state high school athletic association adopt a policy barring students whose gender is male from competing in events designated for female students, and instead has the association's oversight committee report annually to a legislative committee.
### What it does
- Requires local school systems to actively ensure, not just attempt, equal athletic opportunities for both genders in areas like funding, facilities, equipment, coaching, and travel support.
- States that failing to provide comparable funds and resources for one gender's teams counts as noncompliance with the law, removing prior wording that made this only a factor to consider.
- Creates a new private right for students to sue in superior court for an injunction if they are denied equal athletic opportunity, with attorney's fees available to a winning student.
- Creates a separate right for students to sue for money damages if they face retaliation for reporting a violation of the equal opportunity law.
- Requires the Department of Education to publish an annual report on gender-based athletic expenditures and participation, changing this from optional to mandatory.
- Removes language that let the state high school athletic association adopt a policy barring male students from competing in female-designated athletic events.
### Who it affects
Public school students and their parents or guardians, local school systems and their designated Title IX-type compliance officers, local school boards, the Department of Education and State Board of Education, and the statewide high school athletic association and its executive oversight committee.
### Why it matters
Schools would face a stricter, more specific standard for equal treatment of boys' and girls' sports, and students who feel shortchanged would gain a direct path to court rather than relying only on administrative complaints. The bill also strips the athletic association of explicit authority to bar male students from female-designated competitions.
### Key provisions
- Section 1 rewrites O.C.G.A. § 20-2-315(c) to require schools to take 'all steps reasonably necessary' to ensure equal opportunity, including comparable funding, facilities access, equipment, and coaching for both genders.
- Section 1 adds a new subsection (k) creating a private right of action for students denied athletic opportunities (injunctive/declaratory relief plus fees) and for students facing retaliation for reporting violations (damages plus fees).
- Section 1 sets a two year statute of limitations for civil actions under the new private right of action.
- Section 1 makes the Department of Education's annual report on gender-based athletic spending and participation mandatory instead of discretionary.
- Section 1 adds a clause clarifying the law does not affect federal disability protections under IDEA, Section 504, or the ADA.
- Section 2 amends O.C.G.A. § 20-2-316 to remove language authorizing the state athletic association to adopt a policy barring male students from female-designated athletic events.
- Section 2 keeps the executive oversight committee's duty to conduct an annual evaluation and report to the General Assembly's High School Athletics Overview Committee.
## Status
- Status: Introduced (2025-02-03)
- Last action: House Second Readers (2025-02-05)
- Sponsors: Park Cannon, Karla Drenner, Samuel Park, Jasmine Clark, Imani Barnes
- Official page: https://www.legis.ga.gov/legislation/69774
> The history, votes, and amendments (129 characters) are at https://georgiacommons.org/bills/2025-2026/hb221.md?full=1